Jailed ANC councillor’s bid for leave to appeal dismissed

ANA

The former councillor was found guilty of pocketing R20k of donation money meant for an NGO.

A disgraced Nelson Mandela Bay councillor, convicted of fraud and money laundering and jailed for five years, had an application for leave to appeal his conviction and sentence dismissed in the Port Elizabeth Commercial Crimes Court on Monday.

Bongo Nombiba, 43, was found guilty of fraud and money laundering in March and sentenced to an effective five years behind bars.

Nombiba’s new legal council, Advocate Vuyisile Calaza, said after proceedings they would now begin a process to petition the judge president of the Eastern Cape High Court in Grahamstown for leave to appeal.

The former ward 20 councillor was found guilty of pocketing R20 000 of donation money meant for a nongovernmental organisation (NGO) .

The Thulamangwane Community Project rendered services such as caring for elderly people and cleaning schools in the community.

In 2014, the NGO’s secretary, Zukiswa Mbhem, and its deputy chairperson, Mandisa Monco, together with other members, approached Nombiba to request a donation of R10 000 from the municipality to assist them financially.

The councillor instructed the NGO members to put their request into writing, but not to mention the amount they had requested.

During September 2014, a “request for donation” was prepared and signed by both the secretary as well as deputy chairperson.

No amount was mentioned.

Nombiba then sent a request for financial assistance to the metro and motivated for a donation of R30 000 for the organisation.

During November 2014, R30 000 was paid into the bank account of the NGO. Nombiba conveyed to the NGO management that the metro approved the donation and requested them to accompany him to the bank where he pocketed R20 000 of the money.